Bridge for piano-fortes



gm Mom W. H. IVERS.

BRIDGE FOR PIANO FORTBS.

No.. 389,966. Patented Sept. 25, 1888.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Orrica.

WILLIAM H. IVERS, OF DEDHAM, ASSIGNOR TO THE IVERS POND PIANO 00., OFBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 389,966, datedSeptember 25, 1888.

Application filedDeccmbcrfi'l, 1887. Serial No. 259,038. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM H, I'VERS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Dedham, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bridges for Piano-Fortes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin IO the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accon1- panying drawings, and to letters or figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to sounding-board bridges for piano-fortes, moreparticularly those termedoverhanging bridges. These bridges, as the termimplies, are disposed upon the sounding-board and serve to define andlimit the length of the strings thereat.

The object of my invention is to strengthen and brace the bridge withoutaffecting the vibrating qualities of the sounding board upon which it ismounted. This is accomplished by securing at the point where the bridgerests upon the sounding board, but on the opposite side of the latter, aseries of supportingarms of a length equal to the width of the bridge,or thereabout. Moreover, the p rejeeting portion or overhang of thelatter is united to the free ends of said arms by means of belts orwooden pins, which pass freely through the sounding-hoard and do not contact with the latter.

The drawings represent in Figure 1 a vertical section of a portion ofthe sounding-board of a piano-forte transversely of the bridge whichembodies my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is avertical sectional eleva- 4 tion longitudinally of the bridge showingthe arrangement of the supporting arms or braces. Fig. at represents amodification.

1n the class of bridges for piano-fortes as above premised it isdesirable to have the bridge occupy as little space as possible where itrests upon or contacts with the soundingboard to obviate stiffening ofthe latter; hence the bridge is made overhanging. At the same time it isdesirable to stiffen this overhang to resist the pressure of the stringspassing over it to the hitch-pins. Starting with this pre misc, I haveshown a portion of a soundingboard at 2, upon the upper or front surfacethereof, depending, respectively, whether said board is intended for ahorizontal or an upright instrument, is attached the overhanging bridge3 by means of some adhesive compounchor by a series of bolts or screws,4 at. This bridge extends longitudinally along the soundingboard inalinc adapted to conform to thcneees- 6c sary length of stringsrequisite for the varying tones of the instrument. Upon this bridge, on

its projecting portion and near its bounding edge, is aimed a built-upor composite piece,

6, in which are inserted a series of bridge-pins, 7, obliquely arrangedtransversely of said piece 6, which defines the vibrating length of thestrings in this part of the instrument. Said strings are secured to thehitch'pins S, which are set in the metal plate 14, a portion ofwhich isshown in Fig. 1. The opposite ends of said wires or strings are attachedto the wrest-pins in the other end of the piano.

In the usual construction either no support has been afforded theoverhanging portion of the bridge 3, which is liable to deviate from itsproper position, or else a support resting upon the sounding-board, andthus interfering with the vibrations of the latter-,has been used;hence, to give a support and materially 8 strengthen the bridge withoutunnecessarily interfering with the vibratory qualities of the board, Ihave secured a series of arms or braces,

9, at intervals upon the side of the soundingboard opposite to that onwhich the bridge is 3 located, said arms resting upon said board for ashort distance just beneath where the bridge 3 is attached to the board.The remaining portions of said braces are removed from and do notcontact with the surface of the board. Furthermore, said braces 9 aresecured to the latter by bolts 10, which extend through it and aid inbinding the bridge and its supports togcther at their points ofeontactwith the board, and also in fastening the bridge to the sounding-board.

To brace the overhanging portion of the bridge, I have pierced saidboard 2 with a series of holes, 12, which are positioned beneath thefree extremity of a brace and the IUD overhanging portion 6 of thebridge. The two are thus firmly united by a connectingpin, l3.

Thus a rectangular truss is formed by the bridge proper, 3, the brace 9,with the bolt 10, and pin 13, which unite them. Said trusses arearranged at suitable intervals apart sufii cient to give proper strengthand stiii'ness to the bridge. It is evident that the vibrating qualitiesof thesouuding-board are not affected, since the contact surface betweenthe said board and bridge is the same as usual. Moreover, theoverhanging portion of the bridge, the braces 9, and pins 13 do nottouch or rest upon the sounding-board; consequently do not tend tomakeit rigid norinterfere with its vibrations, while the bridge ismaterially strengthened.

In lieu of having a series of holes, as above premised, in thesounding-board, a continuous opening may be formed therein, as shown at14 in Fig. 4, and a continuous false bridge, 15, may be substituted forthe series of braces 9, said bridge being oppositely disposed andbeneath the sounding-board, while the two overhanging free portions ofsaid bridges are united by a continuous support,or by a series of boltsor dowels, as preferred.

\Vhat I claim and desire to secure is- 1. An overhanging sounding-boardbridge provided with braces upon the opposite side of thesounding-boardand beneath said bridge, said braces being united with the overhang ofthe bridge through and independently of the sounding-board,substantially for the purposes herein specified.

2. In combination with the sounding-board of a piano-forte, anoverhanging bridge there on,provided with aseries of trusses formed bythe braces 9, interconnecting bolts 10, and pins 13, substantially asand for the purposes herein with a series of holes, 10, and the pins 13,which U pass without contact therethrough, uniting the free ends of thebraces and the overhanging portion of the bridge, substantially asspecified.

In testimony whereofI affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

XVILLIAM H. IVERS.

Witnesses:

H. E. LODGE, G. A. GInsoN.

